Ice Age National Scenic Trail -- Hospital Esker Segment, St. Croix Falls WI
N 45° 24.250 W 092° 38.350
15T E 528238 N 5027913
The coordinates are for the Hospital Esker Segment trailhead, part of the 1200-mile long Ice Age National Scenic Trail in St. Croix Falls WI.
Waymark Code: WMGB59
Location: Wisconsin, United States
Date Posted: 02/08/2013
Views: 3
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail traces along the edge of a glacier that covered Wisconisn during the ice age. Fortunately, the trail is broken up into smaller segments, for those who don't want or don't have time to do the whole 1200 miles (like us).
This segment takes you to the top of an esker, which is a winding ridge of stratified sands and gravels, pushed ahead by glaciers,and left behind when the glacier retreated or melted.
The day we went up, we saw an amazing fungus that was at least a foot and a half long and over a foot wide. We think it was an edible hen of the woods mushroom. Of course, being considerate hiker and cacher types, we took nothing but photos and memories.
There is an earthcache at the top of the esker. A local hiking group has thoughfully furnished a bench from which you can enjoy a great view.
From the National Park Service website: (
visit link)
"A mere 15,000 years ago during the Ice Age, much of North America lay under a huge glacier. Mammoths, saber tooth cats and cave lions roamed the earth! Some of the best evidence of this glacier is found in Wisconsin such as the state’s many lakes, river valleys, gently rolling hills, and ridges. The nearly 1,200 mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail, established in 1980, traces the glacier's edge."